Finding Home
by luvHaru7
Summary: In an era of chaos, many mysteries came about. None are so rumored as that of the lost Makimachi daughter.
1. Journey's Eve

A/N: Even having several chapters written, I still don't know exactly what this is going to be genre-wise. It's what happens when I get stuck by a bolt of inspiration while watching one of my favorite Disney movies.  
Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or Anastasia.

Home. It's a place that everybody wants. I have a home, I suppose. I adore my friends here in Tokyo, but something is missing. That part of home that tells you that this is where you're supposed to be? I don't have that. I may have had it once, but I lost it long ago.

My name is Misao. I'm afraid I can't tell you any more than that, as it is lost to me as well. Its a scary thing, to not know anything of your past. Who you were, what you did, where you're supposed to be, who were the people most important in your life.

Tomorrow is my 16th birthday. The day that I will set out to recover what was lost to me. I have only some vague suggestion as to my past, in that Sano found me wandering around outside the gates of Edo Castle. He brought me back to Kaoru's dojo.

In birthday celebration and as a means of farewell, we all went out to the Akabeko for dinner. Kaoru and Kenshin were paying, of course. Kaoru and Yahiko had gotten into an argument again when Miss Tae came by to wish me "happy birthday." She was followed shortly by Tsubame who also stopped by to talk to Yahiko.

"Didn't you hear? The lone Makimachi daughter is said to have survived the house slaughtering 10 years ago. It's rumored that she may even be here in Tokyo."

Now, anyone who lives in Tokyo will know something of the Makimachi House Slaughter. Sanosuke especially had a talent for picking up tidbits on it. It happened in the middle of the night. Some unknown syndicate on bad terms with the clan had attacked. Everyone in the house was found murdered the following morning. All except for her. The lone Makimachi daughter. The poor girl wasn't even 6 when it happened. There are some varied theories on whatever became of her. Some say her body was dismembered, dishonored, drowned, tortured, or subject to other unmentionable things as the sole daughter of the late okashira. Others say she was brought to Edo Castle when the syndicate took up an unofficial residency there. They had since been driven out by unknown means.

I know some of the others think I could be her. They've never said anything, but it shows in their eyes. Whenever the subject of the Makimachi daughter comes up, thy inadvertantly glance at me. It's got to be the most proposterous notion I've ever heard. Everyone knows the Makimachi's are gone. I just hope nobody coughYahikocough has the gall to actually make the suggestion or I'll never hear the end of it.

A/N: I know it's short. So far, they're all 2 pages on paper (my notebook happens to be wide-ruled :P). Review? please? for my birthday? wow... I started this about 3 1/2 weeks ago... I still want to think I'm 15, but then I kept wanting to think my sister was 8, even though she was 11 0o 


	2. Hopes

Disclaimer: No, I still don't own Rurouni Kenshin and I don't own Disney's Anastasia, either.  
A/N: I forgot to mention it in the last chapter, but I think you should be aware that my MSWord doesn't like me anymore, so I'm typing this all out on Notepad 0o I'm doing the best I can, but some typos will slip by.

'Today is the day. My past will be sought out and my future will unfold.' I got ready and packed my accumulated things. I grabbed one of Kenshin's onigiri and said my goodbyes to everyone.

I turned and stood out on the road, facing Tokyo. 'What now?' Where was I to start? All I knew was that I'd shown upone day outside Edo Castle. 'Well, I might as well start there.'

I arrived at the gate of the old building. I paused before the grouns in brief hesitation before pushing open the great gates. The doors to the castle itself were surprisingly aged, but well built and opened with ease. The grand interior told me that this must be the main entrance. I turned around, taking in my surroundings. There was a large staircase before me, and for an abandoned castle, it didn't look too bad.

Abandoned? The figure at the top of the staircase told me otherwise. The man turned, revealing a face. I felt something hit me. Hard. I glanced around, but found no perpetraitor. There was something about that face... 'I really should stop staring. He'll think I'm strange.'...'I mean, I guess I am rather strange, but all the more reason not to stare!'

Then again, he himself was staring. And the the expression on his face looked so out of place that I almost laughed aloud. 'Nope. Can't have that now, can we?' I looked down. This seemed to revive him from his stupor. He recomposed himself and descended the stairs gracefully.

-------------------------------POV-----------------------------------

I've returned every year for the past ten. We came to take over our enemies. We conquered the castle, but... I lost my four comrads. My dearest friends were gone and all for naught. She'd managed to escape at some point. Out of their grasp, yes, but lost to us as well. And so I come back here each year, to mourn them, and maybe... maybe even looking for her still.

I had set aside my high hopes. I told myself she was gone. And now, all of the suttle hopes I had suppressed through the years came surging back when I saw her. I composed myself, acknowledging that it might not be her. But I remained awestruck by her resemblance to my young charge. 'They're's nothing to lose,' I thought. I desecended the stairs to stand before her. "Do you have a name, miss?"

"Misao."

My heart leaped. "Misao--?"

A shadow came over her face. "Just... Misao..." 


	3. Beginnings

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or Anastastia A/N: Cabins are terribly wonderful things. It sounds rather cliche, but it really is great for writing (although peace of mind may vary with the weather when you have no air conditioning. yeah. Japanese style fans are also terribly wonderful things.

There was a realm of possibility, that she didn't know her past. It would explain so much, but leave just as much to decipher. What would cause her to lose her memory? How had she escaped? Where had she been for the past ten years? Ten years... that would make her sixteen. Today, in fact. 'But... I have to be absolutely certain it's her. And I don't want to look too eager, either.'

"What are you doing here?" 'Well, that was rather blunt, wasn't it?'

"You'll think it's silly."

She hesitated, "Alright. I'm looking for my past."

Eyebrow

"Because I don't remember anything from before I was six or so, I'm sort of... retracing my steps, I guess."

"Well, then. Would you mind coming to lunch with me?"

"Sounds good to me!" 'Well, she certainly has the same spirit.'

-------------------------At the Akabeko----------------------------

"So, what exactly do you remember?"

"Well, Miss Misao here turned up about 10 years ago," spoke a familiar voice with a heavy accent. I looked up to see Tae, Miss Sae's sister, whom I had only met once before.

"Oh?"

Misao picked up from there, "Sano found me wandering aroung outside Edo Castle. He brought me back to the Kamiya dojo, where I have resided since. Genzai-san looked after us all when Kaoru's parents passed away, but Megumi-san brought us another older figure. But life really improved for us when Kenshin turned up. They've become my family and I love them all dearly, but I need to find out who I am."

"And so Miss Misao's chosen her sixteenth birthday to set out," Miss Tae added.

"Sixteen?" I inquired. 'She's certainly the right age.'

"Yeah, 16," Misao replied indignantly. She does look younger, but that wasn't what I'd meant.

"Say, if you don't remember your past, how do you know when your birthday is?" I really didn't consider the question all that important, but I was curious to know.

"I.. well," she blushed, "I just know. I'd probably have to ask Sanosuke because it was so long ago."

It didn't matter. Her age, birthday, and resemblance all indicated that she must indeed be Misao Makimachi.

"Can I get you something to drink, Shinomori-san?"

"Green tea, please."

Realizing something, I addressed Misao again. "I'm sorry, I don't believe I ever did introduce myself. My name is Aoshi Shinomori."

-----------------------------------POV------------------------------

Aoshi Shinomori... The name struck an unknown chord in my mind. That seemed to be happening more frequently. Then again, this could be important. Maybe this man knew soemthing of my past. He, too, seemed to be looking for something."

His voice brought me back out of my thougths. "Perhaps we should return to Edo Castle to see if you can remember something."

Maybe...

A/N: I'm so happy! I have my first reviews! Thankyou SpiffySquee! Yeah, the man at the top isn't too mysterious anymore, huh? lol. But great intuition :P Charmed Wolf, if you should find this story, no, I'm not continuing 1:3 My Emotion (which, btw, was supposed to be 1/3 My Emotion, but I couldn't use a slash in the title :P). It was just another one-shot reflection. I seem to be good at those :P I really do like to get reviews. Especially if there's anything in particular that you like about the story. I'm also trying to fix any inconsistancies while I'm typing it up from my notebook, but if you find one, feel free to point it out. 


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